Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Once Tu Nan’s desire to cooperate was confirmed, Priestley shared the information he had gathered.

“He Ling and Yi Weichun arrived at this Instance a year ago. At that time, I had just become the Dean of Fairy Tale Hospital. I had mountains of work to deal with every day and didn’t have the time or energy to pay attention to two ordinary Players,” Priestley said in a low voice.

“To be honest, it was only after Yi Weichun died that I started paying attention to He Ling.”

“How exactly did Yi Weichun die?” Tu Nan asked.

“There is no doubt that she did not die by suicide. As for whether she died due to a rule violation or some other reason, it remains a mystery to this day.” Priestley’s voice seemed to drift into memory.

“An event like the death of a nurse can be a major or minor issue for the hospital. As the Dean, I naturally had to go to the scene to take a look.”

“Yi Weichun fell from a high building to her death. At the time, only York and He Ling were on the rooftop. When I went up there, He Ling looked utterly despondent, while York appeared relaxed and at ease, forming a sharp contrast with her.”

“Initially, I naturally assumed York did it. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like that. For a repeat offender, such a thing is more than common.”

“You mean… you don’t think so anymore?” Tu Nan asked with a frown.

“I’m just not certain,” Priestley said, looking at her with a smile. “Don’t you find this dream strange?”

Tu Nan remained silent.

“If York really killed Yi Weichun, how could He Ling remain indifferent for so long? Looking back now, her expression on the rooftop was also very strange. It didn’t look like grief, but rather a kind of numbness born of total despair.”

“Since we can’t distinguish truth from lies, why not ask… the person involved?” Tu Nan said thoughtfully.

“You mean York?” Priestley scoffed. “How could he possibly tell us the truth?”

“Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t,” Tu Nan lowered her eyes. “But if…”

She lowered her voice and spoke to Priestley.

Priestley listened intently to her words, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

“It’s possible… but if we do this, what if she gets triggered…”

“How can we succeed without taking some risks?” Tu Nan reached out her hand toward Priestley.

“What?” Priestley looked at her with some confusion.

Tu Nan pointed at the file in his hand.

Priestley handed her the file half-doubtingly.

Tu Nan opened the file, flipped straight to the description of York’s symptoms, and pointed at those few lines of text.

“He claims to be a savior of women, but in reality, he is a complete fraud. His favorite thing to do is to plunge innocent women into pain and hardship, pretend to throw down a rope, and then laugh as he cuts it just when the poor woman thinks she’s saved, watching them fall from a great height.”

Tu Nan’s tone unconsciously carried a sense of disgust.

As a woman herself, she felt a deep-seated loathing for scum like York.

“A person like this will definitely cooperate with us because he won’t pass up an opportunity to make someone else break down.” Tu Nan’s fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist as she gave a mocking laugh. “This is the… pleasure he lives for.”

“Then let’s do it that way,” Priestley had no objection. “We’ve stayed here long enough; it’s time to get out of here sooner.”

*

Tu Nan returned to the dormitory. He Ling was sitting at the desk, staring blankly into space.
Ever since she had met He Ling, it seemed like the other girl never rested. She was always sitting at her desk, either reading or weeping.

“You’re back?” He Ling turned to look at her. The dark circles under her eyes had deepened, making her look more like a vengeful spirit than ever.

Tu Nan nodded.

Since she already had a plan, what she needed to do now was ensure He Ling’s emotions remained as stable as possible to prevent this dream layer from shattering.

She went straight to the washroom to freshen up, then lay down on the bed to rest.

However, He Ling acted out of character tonight and actually struck up a conversation.

“Tell me, what do you think a person thinks about right before they die?”

Tu Nan paused slightly and opened her eyes.

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “If it were me, I would definitely do everything in my power to stay alive.”

He Ling seemed to let out a short laugh.

“Then what if… you’ve already reached a dead end? If there’s no hope of survival, in that final second before death, what would you think?”

Tu Nan thought about it seriously. “Maybe I wouldn’t think about anything at all. Since it can’t be changed, I might as well accept death calmly.”

He Ling fell silent for a moment, her voice turning cold.

“Then what if the person who killed you was your best friend?”

Tu Nan’s pupils constricted slightly.

Her body felt a bit stiff; she could only take deep breaths to try and relax.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” He Ling’s voice held a hint of danger. “You must think a person like that deserves to die, right? Her very existence is an unforgivable sin.”

“That depends on why she killed me,” Tu Nan said as calmly as possible. “If she didn’t do it on purpose, or if it was unintentional, then she can’t be entirely blamed.”

…

He Ling began to laugh.

Her laughter grew louder and louder until she finally threw her head back and roared, her voice echoing throughout the entire dormitory.

“Because… because she was bewitched, she was blind…” He Ling murmured to herself. “She deserves to die too. Why is she still clinging to life like this?”

Tu Nan realized that He Ling wasn’t really talking to her; perhaps she just needed an outlet for her emotions. All Tu Nan could do was remain silent.

Below the bed, He Ling laughed and cried, her behavior manic. It was clear she was no longer capable of normal communication.

Tu Nan began to doubt whether her plan would still work.

He Ling’s cries and wails echoed through the vast dormitory building.

It was destined to be a sleepless night.

*

Tu Nan woke up early the next day.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw that her complexion was sallow and the circles under her eyes were pitch black. If she didn’t get out of here soon, she would probably go mad as well.

Expressionless, she left the room and headed downstairs. She ate at the cafeteria and then went straight to the patient wards on the fourth floor.

The familiar Ward 404.

Tu Nan pushed the door open and walked in.

York’s familiar face appeared before her eyes. She noticed that in He Ling’s dream, York looked even more loathsome than he did in reality.

At this point in time, the Dwarfs and Eric had not moved in yet. York’s roommate was a man she didn’t recognize.

“Are you new?” The man glanced at her with an arrogant, critical expression. “The standards for selecting nurses at Fairy Tale Hospital are getting lower and lower.”

“How can you say such things to such a beautiful and lovely lady?” York stepped forward, the same frivolous smile as always on his face.

He took Tu Nan’s hand and performed a hand-kissing gallantry. “My lovely lady, may I know your name?”

Tu Nan watched him quietly, a smile playing on her lips.

“Of course. My name is… Yi Weichun.”